Wrought welding alloys

ABSTRACT

A welding alloy and a method of making same containing a controlled amount of aluminum and calcium, for example, as represented by the formula A1 + 31.8 Ca &lt; 3,500 where the compositions are given in parts per million for the elimination of fusion zone undercutting during the welding of said alloy.

Kantor 'et a1.

[451 Mar. 21, 1972 WROUGHT WELDING ALLOYS I Thomas A. Kantor, Pittsburgh; Ronald K. Bowen, Bethel Park, both of Pa.

inventors:

Assignee: Cyclops Corporation, Universal-Cyclops Specialty Steel Division, Pittsburgh, Pa.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,570,193 10/1951 Bieber et a1 "75/171 3,207,599 9/1965 Franklin et a1 ..75/l71 Primary Examiner-Richard 0. Dean Filed: June 1969 Attorney-Webb, Burden, Robinson & Webb Appl. No.: 833,464

[57] ABSTRACT Cl 75/171 welding alloy and a method of making same containing a Int CL 19/00 controlled amountof aluminum and calcium, for example, as new 32 5 represented by the fonnula A1 31.8 Ca 3,500 where the llllllllllll h compositions are given in parts per million for the elimination of fusion zone undercutting during the welding of said alloy.

4 Claims, 2 Drawing F igures d o gnstgusfutclory v D 0 15 no my E 4000 a o s mo M g 2000 j o 1 0 E I000 C a CALCIUM CONTENT (p.p. m.)

Patented March 2 1, 1972 ALUMINUM CONTENT (p.p.m.)

o Uns'ofisfociory 0 Satisfactory O on I I 3o so \J I00 "0 I20 CALCIUM CONTENT (p.p.m.)

Fig.2

INVENTORS. Thomas AKan/ar Rona/d K. Bowen WM M M 1 THE /R ATTORNEYS WROUGHT WELDING ALLOYS This invention relates to welding alloys. More particularly, it relates to a method of producing wrought welding alloys in which the calcium and aluminum contents are greatly limited to eliminate fusion zone undercutting. 5

Many wrought welding alloys have been developed for the aerospace industry and the like. The fabrication of these various alloys into particular components has often been hampered by occurrences of a defect located in the weld area between an alloy or alloys joined by a fusion welding process. This defect has been more precisely defined as fusion weld bead undercutting or more simply, fusion zone undercutting. The propensity of this defect to occur varies with the particular alloys employed. in particular, it has been a common dem fect with certain of the wrought heat resisting alloys including nickel base alloys, cobalt-chromium-nickel base alloys (commonly referred to as cobalt base alloys) and the standard and higher-nickel austenitic alloys (commonly referred to as iron base alloys) as generally defined in Metal: Handbook, Properties and Selection, Vol. 1 8th Ed., page 467, Table l.

Our invention provides a method for producing a wrought alloy in which fusion zone undercutting is eliminated in a fabricated and welded alloy of our composition. Further, our invention allows for a predictability of welding success based on certain empirical relationships particularly adapted to the specific alloy employed. Because of this predictability, a simple go-no go system can be established based on the particular threshold values of aluminum and calcium applicable to the particular alloy. This then enables alloys to be manufactured to aim analyses and which will not exhibit fusion zone undercutting during later processing, but at the same time provides a set of decision rules for predicting the likelihood of the weld defect should the actual analyses wander from the aim analyses of the alloy. By eliminating fusion zone undercutting,

a more consistent weld is also obtained from the standpoint of appearance; thereby resulting in a more attractive weld, which often times cannot be distinguished from the parent metal after normal buffing operation.

Our invention is a method for producing a wrought heat resisting alloy containing a controlled amount of aluminum and 40 calcium, for example, as represented by the formula Al 31.8 Ca 3,500 where the aluminum and calcium compositions are given in parts per million, for the elimination of fusion zone undercutting during the welding of said alloy.

In the accompanying drawings, we have illustrated certain features of our invention in which:

FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating the particular weld defect cured by our invention; and

FIG. 2 is a graph showing a plot of calcium content versus aluminum content of the samples employed in determining the empirical formula Al 31.8 Ca 3500.

The particular weld defect termed fusion weld bead undercutting or simply fusion zone undercutting is illustrated in FIG. 1 where two components 1 and 2 of parent metal are joined by fusion welding to form a weld fusion zone 3 between the components 1 and 2. The weld bead or fusion zone has an upper surface 4 exhibiting a depression 5 which is the undercut. This undercut cannot be tolerated in most applications to which these types of alloys are directed. Failures have occurred by cracking in jet engine components and in other cases the poor appearance of the weld has been objectionable.

It has been found that this weld is correlated to the aluo minum and calcium composition of the base alloy and more particularly by limiting the amounts of aluminum and calcium in the alloy to smaller proportions than employed in similar alloys heretofore, the defect can be eliminated from the fusion welded components.

This general principle of greatly limiting the calcium and aluminum to prevent fusion weld undercutting has application to a variety of nickel base wrought alloys such as those found in Metals Handbook referred to hereinbefore. More particularly, the following alloys illustrated in Table l, manufactured with greatly limited aluminum and calcium contents, will be free of fusion zone undercutting in the welded product.

Aluminum and calcium are used routinely in the general Cb-i-Ta N9 Composition Ni Mo 00 Fe Zr .20/1.00 ...'Bal--- 8.00/10.00 .50/2.50 17.00/20.00 .010max..- .15niax....-.......--.------. 625 .10max... .50max.... .50max--.. .015 max.-. .015max-.. 20.00/23.00 Bal-.. 8.00/10.00 1.00max-.. 5.00max 3,15/4,15

TABLE I.ALLOY COMPOSITIONS ADAPTED T0 ELIMINATION OF FUSION ZONE UNDERCUTTING Mn Si Cr .15 max... 1.00 max... 1.00m... .030max... .040 max--. 20. 50/23.!)

Grade Designation HC----...-.-..-..........---..--.-..- .08max..- 1.00m-.- 1.00max..- .025 max-.. .030max-..

14.50/1650 3.00/3. .35max---- Ba]--. 16.00/l7.00 2.50max--- 4.00/7.00

' 50 parts per million (0.005 percent) result in fusion zone undercutting even when the aluminum is very low. On the other hand, we have found the aluminum contents up to 3,500 parts per million (0.35 percent) with low calcium contents can be tolerated for the 625 alloy (see Table I), whereas lower aluminum contents with comparable calcium contents are required in the HX alloys (see Table I) for the elimination of fusion zone undercutting.

The particular work conducted has also shown that fusion zone undercutting is not a function of oxygen content, steel cleanliness, steelmaking process or subsequent processing, but I is an independent property to which greatly restricted amounts of calcium and aluminum must be employed to obtain satisfactory results.

The method of producing the various wrought heat resisting i alloys which will result in welds free from fusion zone uni dercutting comprises employing restricted amounts of aluminum and calcium in the alloy. The limiting amounts can be 1 represented by the general linear equation Al KCa W where Al and Ca are in parts per million, K is an experimentally determined constant and W is the resulting constant able, but is an adjustment on the order of variable.

I which determines the combined composition limits. The constant K is not a measure of the relative importance of the varimagnitude of the It is possible through experimentation to determine the threshold values for aluminum and calcium in these particular found for the wrought nickel base alloy described as HX in Table I that the empirical formula Al 31.8 Ca 3,500 represents the limiting relationship in the manufacture of the alloy for eliminating fusion weld zone undercutting. All com- 55760311755 as used herein are 5Fe56 in weight percent alloys which, if exceeded, result in the defect. It has been except calcium and aluminum which are represented in parts per million.

The support for this empirical formula is shown in FIG. 2

where 64 different heats of this general heat type were tested, 3

with the results showing all acceptable welds coming from heats in which the calcium and aluminum analyses met the limits of the equation. The welds exhibiting poor results came from heats in which the calcium and aluminum analyses did not meet the limits of the equation, i.e., exceeded 3,500 parts per million. At very low aluminum contents, 1,000 parts per 1 million or less or very low calcium contents, parts per million or less, a highly superficial condition occurred in the weld zone which did not result in fusion weld zone undercutting but which did give an appearance different from the remainder of the samples.

A standardized welding procedure was employed on all the samples. It comprised using samples approximately 1 /4 inches X inches and 0.045 inch thick. The material was randomly chosen from sheets of the particular vacuum or air atmosphere melted heats which had been previously cold rolled, annealed and pickled. The welding itself was conducted without filler wire, using a one-sixteenth inch diameter, 2 percent thoriated tungsten, pointed electrode exposed a total of three-sixteenths inch. The are gap was 0.045 inch; the amount of current was one ampere per 0.001 inch of thickness; the

electrode traveled a speed of 7 inches per minute; the shielding gas was welding quality argon at cubic feet per hour; and the argon was used for a back purge at cubic feet per hour.

TABLE II.-COMPOSITION OF SATISFACTORY WELDS Composition (by weight percent) Heat No. 0 Mn Si S P Cr W Fe N1 Mo 00 Zr B Mg Al Ca 53 80 007 015 22. 18 60 17. 73 Bal- 8. 28 1. 54 030 ND 0025 18 0014 .75 .78 .015 .016 22.26 .62 18.88 Bal... 8.34 1.47 .045 .0006 .0020 .14 .0050 70 .59 013 013 20.88 .53 19. Hal... 8. 29 1. 06 092 0005 0014 23 0036 .64 .84 .005 .013 22.15 .57 17.73 Bal.-- 8.32 .86 .083 ND .0061 .20 .0044 67 54 008 019 20. 80 56 19. 28 B21. 8. 35 95 074 0027 0017 17 0017 .65 .56 .008 .020 21.06 .58 18.32 Ba]... 8.47 1.05 .073 .0016 .0020 .18 .0024 .70 .56 .007 .015 21.04 .58 19.55 Bal-.. 8.30 1.17 .079 .0035 .0025 .17 .0023 .69 .69 .009 .017 21.02 .56 19.00 Bai... 8.86 1.24 .079 .0035 .0026 .19 .0035 75 .72 010 016 21. 29 63 18.05 Bal--- 8. 31 1. 09 073 0027 0019 20 0032 72 72 005 014 21. 36 64 17. 83 B81. 8. 1.14 .100 0040 0029 22 0028 72 66 007 013 21. 70 17. 72 Bal- 8. 37 1. 11 100 0053 0052 17 .0041 .66 .70 .007 .013 20.82 .60 18.46 Bal... 8.33 1.06 .095 .0033 .0022 .23 .0024 .58 .61 .007 .015 21.85 .58 18.26 Bal-.. 8.53 1.18 .073 .0038 .0034 .11 .0011 89 58 007 015 21.04 63 18. 85 Bal... 8.43 1. 24 073 0032 0018 09 0017 .84 .71 .013 .017 20.86 .68 19.44 Bai... 8.22 1.42 .088 .0019 .0021 .16 .0040 64 010 016 21. 32 63 19. 21 Hal... 8. 38 1. 06 077 0024 0043 12 0032 .82 .65 .007 .015 21.77 .63 17.73 B81-.- 9.05 1.48 .074 .0015 .0030 .10 .0031 81 57 .007 015 21. 66 52 18. 24 Bal. 8. 35 1. 34 100 0020 0041 14 0034 .75 .65 007 015 21. 25 58 18. 25 Ba1 8.57 1. 25 089 0031 0018 10 0014 67 62 013 016 21.17 51 18. 29 Ball... 8. 52 1.29 069 0031 0026 13 0036 .75 .69 .011 .017 21.78 .61 17.80 Ba1 8.35 1.54 .072 .0024 .0041 .14 .0048 .66 .63 .010 .016 21.92 .61 17.48 Bal--. 8.68 1.27 .085 .0038 .0038 .16 .0035 79 43 010 016 21. 52 60 18. 36 Bal-.. 8. 42 1. 21 040 0027 0022 10 0034 67 52 009 015 21.48 18. 68 Bal... 8. 20 1. 93 065 0040 ND 12 0020 73 69 010 017 21.11 77 19. 47 Ba]... 8. 20 1. 54 07 0040 ND 071 0035 .68 .71 .007 .017 21.23 .76 19.42 Bla..- 8.25 1.49 .057. .0039 ND .13 .0026 .76 .64 .008 .015 21.22 .57 19.53 13:11... 8.27 1.17 .068 .0031 .0037 .12 .0036 73 71 007 015 21. 37 63 19. 55 Bal... 8. 30 1. 52 065 0020 0030 23 0012 .49 .54 .007 .007 21.70 .68 18.50 Bal... 8.92 .03 .05 .0035 ND .16 .0015

ND =Not determined.

TABLE IIL-COMPOSITION F UNSA'IISFACTORY WELDS Composition (by weight percent) Mn Si S P Cr W Fe Ni Mo 00 Zr B Mg Al Ca .69 .87 .003 .015 21.48 .58 18.90 Bal..- 8.25 1.29 .045 ND .0061 .31 .0034 .71 .72 .015 .012 20.99 .60 18.25 Bal-.- 8.34 1.47 .061 .0006 .0027 .17 .0096 .62 .84 .007 .014 21.23 .63 17.84 B 8.45 1.01 .086 ND .0016 .34 .0014 .65 .61 .011 .011 20.99 .55 18.93 Bal... 8.31 .80 .087 .0004 .0010 .58 .0010 .56 .61 .013 .013 21.11 .58 18.39 132.1... 8.30 1.33 .095 .0004 .0031 .35 .0028 .75 .77 .013 .014 21.00 .63 18.64 Bal... 8.38 .94 .095 .0004 .0014 .38 .0028 .71 .65 .013 .012 21.84 .56 18.05 Bal.-- 8.37 .85 .095 .0031 .0055 .17 .0073 .66 .55 .013 .012 21.39 .60 17.73 Bal..- 8.45 .88 .089 .0006 .0016 .17 .0089 .71 .55 .011 .017 21.65 .60 18.43 Bal... 8.42 1.01 .081 .0027 .0020 .30 .0066 .69 .65 .006 .015 21.16 .58 18.50 Bal..- 8.35 1.17 .089 .0041 ND .31 .0037 .67 .58 .010 .017 21.21 .59 18.05 Bal..- 8.40 1.23 .087 .0016 .0022 .36 .0045 .68 .76 .010 .018 20.96 .51 18.70 Bal..- 8.37 1.17 .077 .0044 .0030 .23 .0050 .55 .59 .010 .017 21.61 .59 18.32 Bal... 8.36 1. 01 .087 .0020 .0031 .22 .0077 .61 .52 .007 .018 20.98 .60 17.98 Bal..- 8.53 1.25 ND .0033 .0023 .16 .0065 .63 .67 .007 .009 20.72 .54 19.83 Bal-.. 8.25 1.48 .076 .003 ND .40 .0014 .66 .56 .011 .018 21.60 .57 19.07 136.1... 8.40 1.09 .087 .0026 .0031 .18 .0078 .53 .54 .005 .017 20.82 .57 19.21 Bal.-- 8.32 1.09 .077 .0041 .0050 .32 .0021 .64 .76 .005 .014 21.34 .56 18.85 Bal-.. 8.31 1.17 .076 .0053 .0058 .50 .0007 .70 .69 .008 .017 21.02 .56 19.00 Bal-.. 8.36 1.24 .084 .0032 .0042 .19 .0055 .72 .71 .007 .014 21.29 .63 18.05 Bal.-- 8.31 1.09 .089 .0031 .0021 .19 .0054 .47 .51 .011 .017 21.46 .56 18.31 Bal..- 8.41 1.11 .085 .0022 .0022 .21 .0118 .72 .69 .007 .012 21.33 .57 18.29 Bal... 8.49 1.09 .070 .0039 .0044 .28 .0022 .90 .66 .005 .016 21.47 .59 17.68 Bal..- 8.53 1.13 .096 .0040 .0028 .17 .0095 .62 .70 .005 .016 21.47 .60 18.70 Bat..- 8.47 1.17 .090 .0038 .0037 .20 .0043 .70 .58 .008 .016 21.01 .66 18.88 Bal... 8.00 1.13 .088 .0031 .0033 .22 .0092 .67 .60 .007 .015 21.21 .67 19.21 Bal... 8.42 1.18 .090 .0015 .0026 .27 .0073 .67 .65 .009 .012 21.09 .65 18.93 Bal..- 8.44 1.41 .076 .0043 .0019 .26 .0073 .64 .54 .009 .016 21.06 .58 18.70 Bal.-. 8.45 1.46 .093 .0032 .0035 .20 .0064 .74 .58 .009 .015 21.08 .54 18.60 E81... 8.50 1.28 .094 .0033 .0025 .22 .0055 .73 .57 .011 .017 21.08 .54 18.60 Bal... 8.50 1.28 .085 .0030 .0029 .21 .0074 .65 .58 .011 .016 20.96 .56 18.55 Bal 8.40 1.23 .094 .0031 .0037 .32 .0082 .69 .68 .011 .016 21.61 .51 18.36 Bal..- 8.45 1.21 .092 .0033 .0029 .28 .0028 .74 .47 .010 .015 21.15 .64 17.70 Bal-.- 8.84 1.19 .046 .0026 .0033 .11 .0093 .66 .70 .007 .014 21.64 .66 18.57 Bal-.- 9.40 1.24 .087 .0042 .0043 .14 .0097 .62 .61 .008 .017 21.22 .57 19.00 Hal..- 8.42 1.05 .089 .0053 .0053 .14 .0099

ND =Not determined.

We claim:

1. A heat resistant solid solution strengthened nickel base alloy consisting essentially of 0.15% max. carbon, 1.00% max. manganese, 1.0% max. silicon, 14.523.0% chromium, 2.5% max. cobalt, 0.010% max. boron, 8.017.0% molybdenum,

I 03.45% tungsten, 0-4.15% columbium, 0.15% max. zirconimanganese, 1.0% max. silicon, 20.5-23.0% chromium,

.5-2.5% cobalt, 0.010% max. boron, 0.15% max. zirconium, .201.00% tungsten, 17.0-20.0% iron, 8.0-10.0% molybdenum and the balance nickel, including at least trace amounts of calcium and aluminum and represented by the limiting equation Al 31.8 Ca 3,500 parts per million and characterized by substantial freedom from fusion zone undercutting in the fabricated state.

3. A method of producing a solution hardenable alloy characterized by freedom from fusion zone undercutting in the fabricated state comprising alloying amounts of aluminum and calcium into a base alloy in amounts represented by the limiting equation Al 31.8 Ca 3,500 parts per million, said base alloy consisting essentially of 0.15% max. carbon, 1.00%

max. manganese, 1.0% max. silicon, 14.5-23.0% chromium, 2.5% max. cobalt, 0.010% max. boron, 8.017.0% molybdenum, 03.45% tungsten, 04.15% columbium, 0.15% max. zirconium, 20.0% max. iron and the balance nickel.

4. A method of producing a solution hardenable alloy characterized by freedom from fusion zone undercutting in the fabricated state comprising alloying amounts of aluminum and calcium into a base alloy in amounts represented by the limiting equation Al 31.8 Ca 3,500 parts per million, said base alloy consisting essentially of 0.15% max. carbon, 1.00%

max. manganese, 1.0% max. silicon, 20.523.0% chromium,

. .5-2.5% cobalt, 0.010% max. boron, 0.15% max. zirconium,

' 0.20-l.00% tungsten, 17.0-20.0% iron, 8.0-10.0% molybdenum and the balance nickel.

UNITED STATES, PATENT CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION 1650.734 Datei Mal-ch21 1972;

inv n o w) Thomas A. Kantoi' and Ronald K. Bowen It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters 'Patentare hereby corrected-as shown below:

column 4 Line 42 --Table II-- should read --Table III"; In Table II Heat-No. 2.6

under the formula. Ni --B1a.-- should read --Ba.l--. In Table 111 Heat No. 34 under the formula Mo --9. 40" should read .40".

Signed'and sealed this 11th day of July 1972-.

(S Attest- EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. v I ROBERT .GOTTSCHALK v Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

2. A heat resistant solid solution strengthened nickel base alloy consisting essentially of 0.15% max. carbon, 1.00% max. manganese, 1.0% max. silicon, 20.5-23.0% chromium, .5-2.5% cobalt, 0.010% max. boron, 0.15% max. zirconium, .20-1.00% tungsten, 17.0-20.0% iron, 8.0-10.0% molybdenum and the balance nickel, including at least trace amounts of calcium and aluminum and represented by the limiting equation Al + 31.8 Ca <3,500 parts per million and characterized by substantial freedom from fusion zone undercutting in the fabricated state.
 3. A method of producing a solution hardenable alloy characterized by freedom from fusion zone undercutting in the fabricated state comprising alloying amounts of aluminum and calcium into a base alloy in amounts represented by the limiting equation Al + 31.8 Ca < 3,500 parts per million, said base alloy consisting essentially of 0.15% max. carbon, 1.00% max. manganese, 1.0% max. silicon, 14.5-23.0% chromium, 2.5% max. cobalt, 0.010% max. boron, 8.0-17.0% molybdenum, 0-3.45% tungsten, 0-4.15% columbium, 0.15% max. zirconium, 20.0% max. iron and the balance nickel.
 4. A method of producing a solution hardenable alloy characterized by freedom from fusion zOne undercutting in the fabricated state comprising alloying amounts of aluminum and calcium into a base alloy in amounts represented by the limiting equation Al + 31.8 Ca <3,500 parts per million, said base alloy consisting essentially of 0.15% max. carbon, 1.00% max. manganese, 1.0% max. silicon, 20.5-23.0% chromium, .5-2.5% cobalt, 0.010% max. boron, 0.15% max. zirconium, 0.20-1.00% tungsten, 17.0-20.0% iron, 8.0-10.0% molybdenum and the balance nickel. 